Lord Tebbit is one of Britain's most outspoken conservative commentators and politicians. He was a senior cabinet minister in Margaret Thatcher's government and is a former Chairman of the Conservative Party. He has also worked in journalism, publishing, advertising and was a pilot in the RAF and British Overseas Airways.

Cameron gave in to US senators' insolent demands over Lockerbie. Why didn't he ask about the Democrats' support for Irish terrorists?

As we come to the Summer Recess, I do not think that the LibDemCon Coalition has done badly so far. In my view the only argument for it was that it gave the Conservatives cover to prescribe economic medicine which not only NuLab but also the Lib Dems had campaigned against at the general election. That it has done – but waving the prescription is one thing, taking the medicine is another. The stress will come on through the summer and autumn, as proposed cuts become real ones.

Nor is there much doubt that some Ministers have discovered that colleagues from the other party are really quite congenial chaps. In the Lords we have long known that. I would always describe the Lib Dem leader there, Lord McNally, as a friend. It is that expression “My Noble Friend”, which denotes that one shares a political allegiance and agenda, that sticks in my throat.

I suspect that this political backslapping and all the stuff about “grown-up politics” in which differences of political belief are set aside is responsible for some of the sloppy government we have seen of late.

The Prime Minister during his visit to America was so concerned to have a public relations success that he forgot our history and where our national interest lies. I take it, of course, that Eton has not fallen victim to the falling academic standards in state education and that Mr Cameron was aware of that nasty period when the USA was neutral and its ambassador in London, the father of the future President Kennedy, was dripping anti-British poison into Roosevelt's ear, in the hope that we would be overwhelmed by Nazi Germany.

Mr Cameron gave in to the insolent demands of senators to question him about the release of the Lockerbie bomber. Of course that release was odious. He needed to say so. But he would have done well to have asked what American political and commercial interests over many years were served by the repeated refusals of the American authorities to extradite suspect IRA/Sinn Fein terrorists to face trial here in the UK. He might even have questioned the fundraising activities on behalf of the political arm of the Republican terrorist movement. After all, they killed thousands more than died at Lockerbie, and the families and friends of the victims have a right to know the truth about the terrorist connections of some American Democratic Party politicans.

At home the same touchy-feely sloppiness was evident at Prime Minister's Question time when Mr Clegg was standing in for Mr Cameron. I had never thought that anyone could have made a more complete hash of it than Mr, sorry, Lord Prescott. I was wrong. He would never have mouthed off personal opinions that were contrary to those of the Government. Not so Mr Clegg. Quite reasonably he thinks that the invasion of Iraq was an error. To his credit, he said so at the time. However, his opinion that it was illegal is not in accord with the view of the Government. Nor is it sensible. What is lawful in this country is what Parliament says is lawful and it remains so until Parliament says otherwise.

One day, I hope Parliament will declare this Kingdom to be no longer part of the European Union. People like Mr Clegg, and many others with divided loyalties, will declare that decision to be illegal. It is important that we give such ideas no credence. It is also important that Mr Clegg should be reminded that when he answers for the Government he has no right to blab about what he thinks. His job is to say what the Government thinks.

In the meantime the saintly Mr Cable has had to be shot down over promoting a policy (and a silly one at that ) on the repayment of the costs of university education which is not government policy, while the Green Secretary for Energy, Mr Huhne, seeks to nobble the Government's policy on nuclear power in favour of his absurd attachment to wind energy. We can only pray that attachment might prove as fickle as some of his others have done.

The danger for the Government, the Conservative Party and the country is that to keep the Lib Dems on board to give cover for the resolution of our short term economic problems, the Lib Dem tail will keep wagging the Conservative head of the coalition dog and disastrous long term policies on defence, energy, immigration and Europe will be taken in bouts of bonhomie.

The coalition partners will probably get away with it at this year's Party Conferences. Next year may be a different story.

…

The EU did not find many friends amongst those commenting on this site recently. Elliot Kan, brookse, mike stallard and others made that plain. How long before we entirely lose our sovereignty, asked steve withak, to be promptly answered by justintime: “Not long.” Nor did Baroness Ashton find any friends, and certainly not ooopiop or remittance man, although I have to defend her by saying that she is far from silly and is a perfectly pleasant person. However, I fear she is a member of the political class who are more inclined to find common cause with foreign fellow members of that class than with their fellow countrymen and women from outside the class. That is, I think, the answer to crownarmourer and to peasant, who asked why the leaders of political parties tend to become so pro-EU. They also have the unremitting advice of the Foreign Office, not so much looking for a new role for Britain as a new role for the Foreign Office and from a strong lobby of multilateral businesses who want multilateral markets and multilateral solutions to their problems.

As humf put it, too many politicians become too well-off and comfortable in the EU. It is all too easy to bathe in a warm glow of reasonability and self-righteousness in the Council of Ministers as one gives way on one's own national interests to reach yet another agreement before a convivial lunch.

I am sure hagar and bersher are right about “I vow to thee my country”, but I am sure that no member of the political class would agree.

As ever, the media got a bit of a kicking from Nigel Rogers, julier, hkwilly and hagar for being too favourable to the EU, but be reasonable,chaps: I would not describe The Telegraph as fawning on the EU, let alone The Mail or The Sun. Very few people read The Guardian, and if we were not taxed to allow the BBC to be free at the point of use, I suspect that its reader or listenership would come crashing down. The media may influence readers, but readers can influence the commercial media by ceasing to buy. I would suggest to hagar that there is certainly no cause to buy the Wall Street Journal if it thinks either that the PM of this LibDemCon coalition will push for a free market EU, or that if he did the EU would move an inch (sorry, centimetre) from its usual dirigiste policies.

The question so many of you pose is: What can be done about it? I do not share darkseid's hopes of Mr Clegg. He is of the political class, through and through. And I should say that I do not think my comments on the exchange between Sir George Young (Leader of the Commons) and David Davis unfair. I took my account of them from Hansard. Now it seems we are set to roll over and renege on Magna Carta whenever a foreign EU police force wants to pursue a British subject, so perhaps Sir George was wise to dodge the question.

We who want the United Kingdom to be an independent self-governing state find ourselves rather like Churchill in 1940. He knew that victory could be achieved only by bringing America into the war. Until then, we would have to struggle on, aided only by the Empire and Commonwealth and the patriotic forces of our defeated European allies. When asked what was his plan to win the war he simply replied, "Just keep buggering on".

We who prize our independence today are without hope of outside intervention to win our war. There is no magic bullet, no “with one bound he was free” but like Churchill we have to keep plugging on. We all have to make the case for freedom wherever we can. The best place is within the political parties. Politicians are sensitive to being booed at their own party conferences. They do not like critical motions in their constituency party meetings. The Tories in particular do not like to see votes cast for UKIP at European elections: it brings a fear that it might happen at Parliamentary elections.

Cast Iron With Rust Spots suggested a Parliamentary Caucus on American lines and there is the makings of an anti EU caucus within Parliament in the form of The Better Off Out Group. Despite the Cameron Fatwah against it, we meet regularly exchange information and co-ordinate tactics. Alhamilton asked what would be the effect of 500,000 people joining UKIP as opposed to the Tory Party. Frankly, 500,000 people joining any party would have a hefty effect on the other parties.

I think it was jaybee 001 who made the point that we have a duty to argue our case or we will have accepted that for the EU. Indeed he is right. My motto is Qui Tacet Consentit. That is: he who remains silent gives his consent.

Thank you all for your comments. There are some great dialogues on this site. I hope that aasvogel will forgive my miss spelling. I was pleased to see Alfred of Albion has come come back. Of course steve-ipswich was right to say Alfred The Great never ruled all of England, but had he not defeated Guthrum we would have become a very different nation. I think he needs a visit to Bury St. Edmunds. It isnt far from Ipswich.

As ever, my thanks to bersher. who not only put down davidlindsay for a particularly silly attack on Margaret Thatcher, but provided the link to that wonderful “No, No, No” speech. Do look at it and watch the expression on the face of Douglas Hurd.